The present invention generally relates to, for example, a device for characterizing a thermal “signature” of an external influence.
For various applications, it is desirable to be able to characterize the dynamic thermal “signature” of an external influence impinging upon a surface. The dynamic thermal signature can be thought of as a mapping of a thermal parameter on a two-dimensional surface over time. Once information concerning the dynamic thermal signature is obtained, it can be further processed, manipulated, displayed, etc., depending on the application. For example, it may be desirable to determine the thermal signature of a very small chemical reaction on a substrate as part of a “lab on a chip” application. To do so, it is useful to be able to determine the heat flux and/or temperature versus position and time over the area of the reaction. From this information, the thermal characterizations and evolution of a micro-reaction can be accurately tracked. In some cases, it may be desirable to cause some reactions with a desired and non-uniform temperature-time history imposed on different thermal domains. The non-uniform and dynamic thermal behavior can also be used for thermal property changes of the external material and could be used as a dynamic display device.